1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to packaging for electronic devices and in one of its aspects to a device to aid in inserting encapsulated electronics packages into sockets.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Many electronics circuits such as amplifier stage circuits, memory circuits, and others, are available in encapsulated electronics packages having bodies that contain the circuitry and pins made of electrically conducting material to electrically connect the circuitry to other electronic circuitry. Normally, such an encapsulated electronics package is connected into a socket, its pins inserted into the socket contacts. Difficulties are frequently encountered in plugging an encapsulated electronics packgage into a socket. A very common encapsulated electronics package known as a dual in-line package or DIP causes special problems since it has two rows of flat pins extending outwardly from its sides and then bent in the direction of insertion. In a DIP having eight pins per side, a person must simultaneously insert 16 pins into 16 contacts in order to insert the DIP into a socket. A commonly used technique for inserting a DIP into a socket is to hold the DIP by the ends of the DIP body between the thumb and pointer finger, rest the tips of the pins of one row in their respective row of contacts and then begin turning the second row of pins toward its row of contacts while exerting pressure against the first row, bending the pins of the first row slightly. Since the pins of the DIP are flat, however, they are frequently bent or crimped, making it necessary to then try to straighten the pins out before reattempting to insert the DIP into the socket. After a pin has been bent a few times, the DIP becomes useless since it is no longer possible to insert it into the socket. People who spend a great deal of time working with electronics end up wasting much of that time in trying to insert such encapsulated electronics packages or trying to straighten out pins that have resulted from faulty insertions. Additionally, the pins are often damaged in attempting to remove the DIP from the socket.
Besides the difficulty of inserting and removing such encapsulated electronics packages into sockets, the exposed pins of encapsulated electronics packages that are not currently plugged in regularly get bent from handling, from having other items set on them, and from other causes.